QuestionWhen talking about vehicles, when is one “in” a vehicle and when is one “on” a vehicle? Is there a rule for using “in” or “on” in these situations? — Learners EverywhereAnswer
Usually, you should use in when you are talking about a small vehicle or a personal vehicle. Use on when you are talking about a large vehicle or a public vehicle. An exception to this is when you are talking about a bicycle or motorcycle. For small vehicles like those, use on. The examples below show some uses of in and on with vehicles.
- The dog likes to ride in the car.
- We were able to fit all of our luggage in the truck.
- He liked going for drives in his Jeep during the summer.
- He left his jacket in the limousine.
- There wasn’t much space to move around in the canoe.
- She got on the bus near the library.
- We parked our car on the ferryboat.
- She sailed off into the sunset on her yacht.
- The kids had a snack on the plane.
- There were quite a few passengers on the train.
- She sat on her bike for a minute adjusting her helmet, and then she headed home.
- They arrived on a motorcycle.
I hope this helps.
